Tag: DeMarcus Cousins

Cleveland’s LeBron James during Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics on May 27, 2018. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

As LeBron James’ private plane was tracking from Anguilla to Van Nuys Saturday, backroom deals were being struck all over the NBA landscape.

The frenzy started minutes before the ball dropped on the NBA New Year at midnight and continued well into the morning. Within hours about 20 players reportedly agreed to deals, with most not allowed to sign before noon on Friday.

One team sitting out the madness: the Miami Heat. The Heat’s lack of flexibility makes it very difficult for Pat Riley and Andy Elisburg to become a major player this summer, other than through the trade market.

The biggest names – Golden State’s Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City’s Paul George, Houston’s Chris Paul, Denver’s Nikola Jokic – are returning to their old teams. The four will re-sign on deals ranging from two to four years and totaling more than $500 million. (And this is a summer in which the theme is fiscal responsibility.)

The most intriguing names on the move so far are DeAndre Jordan from the Clippers to Dallas, Trevor Ariza from Houston to Phoenix and two players who obviously do not Trust the Process in Philadelphia, Ersan Ilyasova and Marco Belinelli, who will sign with Milwaukee and San Antonio, respectively.

Other than that, few names will tilt the needle as we enter the week, with, of course, one exception.

James spent most of last week holed up in the Caribbean, weighing his options. Saturday morning, he and his financial team boarded his jet for Southern California, where, let’s face it, all signs point to him ultimately staying put as a member of the Lakers. But on Sunday, James’ agent, Rich Paul, reportedly was set to meet with a high-level Sixers contingent in Los Angeles.

Before meeting with Philadelphia, the only reported contact James had with any team after midnight was a phone call with Cleveland general manger Koby Altman. James owes the Cavaliers nothing after delivering on his promise to bring Cleveland a title after returning four years ago but perhaps he learned from the embarrassing way he left his hometown team the first time with a poorly-planned, hour-long infomercial in which he declared he was “taking his talents to South Beach.”

James is not holding this free agent season hostage as he did eight and four years ago, when he bolted Miami and returned to Cleveland. A sign that many believe James’ decision has been made is so many deals being reported in the early hours of free agency. If James had a long list of teams he was considering, everything would have been on hold, much like it was two years ago for Durant and last year for Gordon Hayward.

But James has been trending toward the Lakers for weeks and that narrative become stronger Friday when James informed Cleveland he would opt out of the final year of contract, which realistically narrowed his choices to the Lakers, Cavs and Sixers. The biggest question now is who rides James’ coattails to L.A. With George staying put in OKC, the Lakers (and likely James) have targeted New Orleans’ DeMarcus Cousins.

Despite the early rush, this will be a tight market for free agents. Just eight teams have cap space of any significance and already two of them, Dallas and Phoenix, have made their big moves. Of those remaining teams, just the Lakers, Philadelphia and Indiana appear willing to hand out substantial contracts. The others – Atlanta, Chicago and Sacramento – could sign mid-tier players and/or use their space for trades.

Many teams are looking back at the summer of 2016 when spending got out of control and some of the worst contracts in league history were handed out, and ahead to next summer when the cap will rise to a projected $109 million and the market will be deeper with Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, Jimmy Butler, Kemba Walker and Kevin Love among those all likely to be available.

As for the Heat, the first bit of news likely will involve free agent guard Wayne Ellington. Miami would like to retain the franchise’s record holder for the most 3 pointers in a season, but at what price? The Heat have Ellington’s early Bird rights and can pay him as much as $10.9 million next season but that could put them above the new luxury tax line, which was revealed last night as $123.733 million, unless other salary is shed through a trade.

Ilyasova, Belinelli and Doug McDermott (Indiana) are long-range shooters like Ellington and their contracts were in the $6-$7.3 million per year range. Ellington will receive interest as the market settles but expect him and the Heat to have several conversations.

LeBron James speaks to the media after Cleveland was swept by Golden State in the NBA Finals. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

Free agency starts at 12:01 Sunday. Barring any significant trades that allow them to shed salaries, the Miami Heat lack cap space to become a major player this summer.

More than 125 players are free to sign with any team, although several are restricted. Here is our list of the top players at this time at each position.

POINT GUARDS

Chris Paul, Houston: The Rockets will try to find a way to bring back Paul – he can sign for $205 million over five years – and add LeBron James or Paul George.

Isaiah Thomas, Lakers: Thomas’ timing could not have been worse. He insists he is a max player but he won’t get close to that after a season in which his production fell and questions still persist about his hip.

Rajon Rondo, New Orleans: Rondo is no longer the player he was in Boston but he has rehabilitated his image in Chicago and New Orleans and continues to be a solid floor general.

Elfrid Payton, Phoenix: The Suns acquired Payton from Orlando at the trade deadline hoping he would be their point guard of the future. Not so and they are moving on from Payton.

Fred Van Vleet, Toronto (R): Van Vleet had a breakout year last season, his third in the league and will receive a nice pay raise from the $1.3 million he made in 2017-18.

SHOOTING GUARDS

Zach LaVine, Bulls (R): LaVine returned from ACL surgery and looked good in his half season in Chicago. If teams are not scared off by the injury he could get close to the max.

Tyreke Evans, Memphis: Evans had a solid year averaging 19.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.2 assists. At 28 he is looking at his last big contract.

Will Barton, Denver: An underrated player who has steadily improved the last four seasons had his best season heading into free agency. Mostly a reserve but proved last season he can be productive starting.

JJ Redick, Philadelphia: Redick made the most of his one-year, $23 million deal with the 76ers, averaging 17.1 points. Now, he is on the market again.

Marcus Smart, Boston: Smart has been a valuable reserve for the Celtics the last two years and helped his cause in the playoffs. One of the top defensive guards in the league.

SMALL FORWARDS

LeBron James, Cleveland: Everything is on hold until James decides where he is headed – he first must decline his player option for $35.6 million. The Lakers appear to be in the lead but the Cavaliers are holding out hope he returns.

Kevin Durant, Golden State: Durant is expected to decline his player option for $26.2 million after signing a two-year deal last summer and re-signing with the Warriors. Durant said he’s ready to ink a long-term deal.

Paul George, Oklahoma City: The Thunder were hoping to retain George after the gamble it took last summer to trade for him and put together a team that could compete for a title. George opted out and will field offers, which doesn’t look good for OKC.

Trevor Ariza, Houston: The Rockets will make an attempt to somehow land James but that will take creativity and certainly would mean losing Ariza. Otherwise, the Rockets are in play.

Rudy Gay, San Antonio: Gay declined his player option for $8.8 million to test free agency for a second consecutive season. He averaged 11.5 points and 5.1 rebounds in his one year in San Antonio.

POWER FORWARDS

Aaron Gordon, Orlando (R): Gordon is going to get paid – he is seeking a max deal – and the Magic have a big decision as to whether they match an offer to keep him, let him go or try to work out a sign-and-trade.

Julius Randle, Lakers (R): Randle’s future is as murky as anybody’s on the market depending on what happens in L.A. The Lakers are trying to land some combination of LeBron, Leonard and Paul George – or even all three – and how it unfolds will determine whether Randle returns.

Derrick Favors, Utah: Favors is an under-the-radar free agent who will be a nice pickup for somebody if he leaves Utah. The Jazz want him back but his future will have everything to do with how much money is left after the big names move.

Jabari Parker, Milwaukee (R): Parker struggled this season playing just 31 games after returning from a torn ACL. Not sure the Bucks are eager to give him a large contract which could limit his offer on the open market.

Montrezl Harrell, Clippers: Another underrated player who played an important role on the Clippers after being acquired last summer in the Chris Paul trade. An explosive player with great energy who is a tough matchup at 6-8. Can also play center.

CENTERS

DeMarcus Cousins, New Orleans: Cousins’ torn Achilles came at a bad time. He would have been a max player but likely will have to take less after suffering the injury in late January. The big question is if the Pelicans really want him back?

Clint Capela, Houston (R): The Rockets love Capela and matching an offer would be a no-brainer if it weren’t for their pursuit of LeBron. Ideally, Houston retains Chris Paul and Capela and somehow lands LeBron, but that will be difficult.

DeAndre Jordan, Clippers: Jordan could exercise his player option and be traded to Dallas before free agency kicks off. He is a capable scorer, one of the best rebounders in the league and a huge asset defensively.

Jusuf Nurkic, Portland (R): Nurkic improved during his first full season in Portland but he remains an inconsistent player. The Trail Blazers will have a decision to make when he receives an offer.

Brook Lopez, Lakers: Lopez has expanded his game, making 246 threes on 34.5 percent shooting the last two years. He made just three threes in his first eight seasons. A return to L.A. is unlikely.

In this Tuesday, May 9, 2017, file photo, San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard (2) and forward LaMarcus Aldridge (12) walk upcourt during the second half of Game 5 in a second-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Houston Rockets in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)

MIAMI — The Warriors have been crowned NBA champions, and just like that the most exciting offseason in sports has begun.

DeMarcus Cousins #0 of the New Orleans Pelicans reacts during the second half of a game against the Houston Rockets at the Smoothie King Center on February 23, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)

MIAMI — It looks like there will be a few disgruntled stars and a handful of teams that will try to make big changes this offseason. In other words, the NBA trade market could be wild.

Then there’s New Orleans big man DeMarcus Cousins, a 27-year-old star who is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer and could be available at a cheaper price than previously expected. That’s because Cousins suffered an Achilles tendon tear on Jan. 26, which is perhaps the most devastating injury that can happen to a basketball player. Continue reading “Should the Heat explore a sign-and-trade deal for DeMarcus Cousins?”

MIAMI – Hassan Whiteside believes he is one of the top centers in the NBA. And why not considering in consecutive seasons he led the league in blocks with 3.7 per game (2015-16) and rebounding with 14.1 per game (last season).

But others aren’t so sure. In fact, one outlet doesn’t have Whiteside listed among the top 5 centers in the league. And yet, there is some good news with the rankings.

Yet, among those listed, only Whiteside was in the top 3 in rebounding, scoring (17.9), field goal percentage (.557) and blocked shots (2.1).

But what do the top five have in common? All are from the Western Conference.

By these rankings, Whiteside is the top center in the East and would be ticketed for his first All-Star game.

Whiteside was asked if he uses those rankings for motivation.

“Of course,” said the 28-year-old. “People have been telling me all my life I can’t play in the NBA. Then they tell me I’ll never play on the Heat and get minutes. It’s always some people saying things negative. I try to use it as motivation and get better.”

Whiteside has had a steady, yet quiet preseason, one in which point guard Goran Dragic says he is really applying his stamp to the team.

“He was dunking the ball, dunking over people,” Dragic said about training camp. “You can see he’s really embraced him his role, he’s really the force of this team.”

Whiteside played 19 minutes in the Heat’s preseason opener Sunday with eight points, 11 rebounds and a block in the win over Atlanta.

“You look at their numbers and you look at your own numbers,” he said about his competition. “You look at what you do on the court and you look at what they do on the court. And then you look at how good they make their team. Are you on a winning team or are you the only one out there shooting 25, 30 shots a game.”

The pairing of DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis has not translated into many wins for New Orleans. (Getty Images)

MIAMI – The New Orleans Pelicans were expected to climb in the Western Conference standings when DeMarcus Cousins was acquired from Sacramento in mid-February.

Pairing the 6-foot-11 Cousins with the 6-10 Anthony Davis, two players averaging more than 25 points and 10 rebounds a game, was going to cause opponents’ fits.

But something happened on the road to challenging the Warriors and the Spurs in the West.

The Pelicans were 23-34, 2.5 games out of the final playoff spot in the West the day the deal was made. They entered Tuesday’s game against Portland having lost 6-of-9 since the trade and falling to 5.5 games behind No. 8 Denver.

New Orleans will face the surging Heat (32-35) Wednesday, a team that has won 21-of-26 to pull to within a half game of the final playoff spot in the East.

“Rome wasn’t built in one day,” Heat guard Dion Waiters said about the Pelicans. “You got two dominant forces down there who need the ball. Between them somebody’s got to make a sacrifice. They’re figuring that out. There’s only one basketball.”

Waiters knows what it is like to join a new team and require time for things to click.

It happened this year, when he came to Heat and wasn’t the player for the first month that he became after returning from an injury in early January.

“Even though I went through training camp and I did everything, it’s still about figuring out when to be aggressive, when not to be aggressive, what guys like to do, where a guy likes the ball,” he said. “Then I was able to get comfortable.”

The reason. …

“It just so happens I’m on a team with a bunch of unselfish guys. We don’t really care who gets the ball on this team. We built that chemistry.

“I know them guys are probably close, they talk, they went to the same school (Kentucky), but you still got to build that chemistry on the court. Once they build that chemistry and one sacrifices for the better of the team that could be a scary team down the line.”

But nobody has been scared of the Pelicans since the Twin Towers were formed. Although they are the highest scoring and rebounding duo in the league it has not translated into wins.

The two combine for 55 points per game (Davis at 28.1) and 22.6 rebounds (Davis at 11.8) but New Orleans’ scoring has dipped since the trade, from 103.4 points per game to 99.9 and its rebounding has increased by just one per game.

Still, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra is preparing for the team everyone thought would take off after the trade.

“It’s unique,” he said. “It’s like old-school NBA of the ‘90s. Their skill sets allow that to happen. Both of them can play on the perimeter. Either one of them can play down low. They’re a load.”

The Heat have played against both this year with mixed success. In two games against Miami while with the Kings, Cousins is averaging 21.5 points and 6.5 rebounds while shooting 12-of-31 from the field. Center Hassan Whiteside did not play in the game at Sacramento in which Cousins was held to 13 points and six rebounds.

Davis dominated the Heat with 28 points and 22 rebounds in the teams’ lone meeting this year, a 91-87 Pelicans win in New Orleans.

While Whiteside said Davis is “a lot quicker” and “a lot more you got to deal with” than Cousins, he added the Pelicans will have to adjust to the Heat, too.

One of the bigs will be forced to guard Luke Babbitt, the Heat’s power forward who is shooting 60 percent on 3s in his last 14 games.

“We’re not going to get too caught up in their front court,” Whiteside said. “They got to worry about us, too. They got to worry about our guards and what we bring.”

Would the Heat have wanted DeMarcus Cousins and Hassan Whiteside in the same locker room?

Now that New Orleans has traded loose change, a bag of Nikes and Buddy Hield for one of the most talented (and unstable) players in the league, what should the Heat have offered Sacramento for DeMarcus Cousins?

We put that question to our Heat followers and the responses were interesting. Some believe the 6-foot-11 multi-talented Cousins would be worth any two players on the roster while others want no part of a player whose emotional outbursts and short fuse have made him a major distraction.

And then there is the question about whether the Heat even were interested in acquiring Cousins. The Kings are getting hammered for the deal, which included Hield, a couple of throw-ins, a 1-3 protected first round pick and a second round pick. But Cousins is toxic and who knows how many teams truly wanted to bring him into their locker room.

If Miami did, our Twitter GMs have plenty of suggestions:

@tommy_aether: Any combination of anything on the roster

Anything? I guess that means Cousins would have been worth Hassan Whiteside and Goran Dragic and Justise Winslow or Josh Richardson? Or if the Kings preferred and expiring contract, Dion Waiters?

@RjSonbeek: Winslow, Richardson, Tyler Johnson and a future first.

Interestingly those who did not like this package were more upset that Johnson was part of it then Winslow and Richardson.

Then there is the Hassan Whiteside debate.

Streetlegend18: whiteside in an instant!

@nmgopman: don’t know that i would…can’t imagine Hassan and Boogie being able to play together, and I wouldn’t give up Hassan

@Ms_Mambo Nothing. We don’t need to add a second knucklehead.

The Pelicans are gambling that Cousins and 6-10 Anthony Davis can co-exist. Although they look different – Cousins is 270 pounds compared to Davis at 253 – they do have similar games in that both are not afraid to launch from deep, especially Cousins who has gone crazy this season with 4.9 3-point attempts per game.

Whiteside is completely different center, one who plants in the low post. Still, with both players still dealing with maturity issues that combination certainly would have been a challenge to the Heat, coach Erik Spoelstra and the players. That, and exposing Boogie to South Beach may not have been the smartest idea.

The Heat are in a precarious position. A month ago, dealing James Johnson or Dion Waiters, or even Goran Dragic, would have been considered for the purpose of strengthening their attempt to rebuild this summer. Johnson and Waiters will be free agents anyway and considering Miami was sitting there with the second worst record in the league, getting something in return, likely a draft pick, would have made sense. Same with Dragic, which would have had the extra benefit of clearing another $17 million of cap space this summer.

But that plan was altered when the Heat (25-32) won 14-of-16 games entering the break, went from the team with the second-worst record in the league to the 13th and from 9.5 games out of a playoff spot to 2.

Still, Pat Riley and Andy Elisburg will not sit idly by as Thursday’s trade deadline approaches. But they are in a difficult spot of making a deal that could give this team a little push toward the playoffs but without sacrificing any long-term flexibility.

In other words, Miami is not going to make a trade for the sole purpose of helping this team. If a deal is made in the next couple of days it will be with the future as the primary focus but not tossing in the towel on this season, either.

With that plan, here are a few options for the Heat.

Wilson Chandler, 6-8 small forward, Denver: Chandler is unhappy in Denver despite career-highs of 15.4 points and 6.7 rebounds. Chandler is a solid defender who is shooting 45.8 percent from the floor but isn’t anything special from long distance at 33.8 percent on 3s.

At 29, he’s been in the league nine years. The Nuggets have a nice young core and may be willing to deal some of their veterans like Chandler or Danilo Gallinari.

Trading for Chandler likely would cost the Heat James Johnson as part of the package. But more pressing would be Chandler’s contract, which is $11.2 million this year and has $25 million remaining on its last two years. First, the Heat would have to like him enough and believe he is an important piece for the future to lose some of that cap space and Miami would insist Josh McRoberts be part of any deal that includes eating into its cap space to mitigate losing some of that flexibility.

Terrance Jones, 6-9 power forward, New Orleans: The Pelicans are actively shopping Jones, according to reports, after acquiring Cousins. Jones signed a one-year deal with New Orleans for just more than $1 million last summer after being released by Houston. He is averaging 11.5 points and 5.9 rebounds. And although Oklahoma City appears to have emerged as a leader for Jones, the Heat are among the teams linked to the 25-year-old from Kentucky.

Dealing for Jones would take some creativity. A one-for-one deal would be difficult because of the salaries. Considering the Pelicans need perimeter help the only matches would be Josh Richardson and Rodney McGruder. Richardson is out of the question and Heat coach Erik Spoelstra has praised McGruder for what he brings the team beyond the box score. Still, nobody is off limits.

Jones would be a nice fit at power forward where Luke Babbitt has been starting. Jones is a career 50 percent shooter from the field but under 30 percent on 3s. And for those thinking about it, although Babbitt’s salary matches up with Jones’, he was acquired from New Orleans last summer prohibiting Miami to trade him back to the Pelicans this season.

Trevor Booker, 6-8, power forward, Brooklyn: Perhaps the best fit at power forward – and perhaps longest shot to acquire – would be Booker. At, 29, he is having his best season after signing a two-year, $18.4 million contract with the Nets last summer, averaging 10.2 points and 8.5 rebounds. And Booker would fit right in for another reason, he has a reputation as one of the hardest-working players in the league.

Sounds like someone Brooklyn could use, but the Nets clearly are starting over and this process will continue for several more years, so why not try to move some of the veterans for either a young player or picks (which would prohibit the Heat considering they cannot trade their first round selection this year). Ideally, the Heat could do the deal for McRoberts, but that is wishful thinking seeing he, too, has one more year remaining, although at about $3.3 million less than Booker. The Nets need young players, the Heat have a few, but may not be willing to part with the ones necessary to make this work.

DeMarcus Cousins #15 of the Sacramento Kings celebrates with Darren Collison #7 against the New York Knicks during the second half at Madison Square Garden on December 4, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

It’s December. That means the busy part of the NBA trade season is near.

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About the Author

Anthony Chiang began his writing career in Gainesville at the University of Florida’s student-run newspaper. At The Independent Florida Alligator, he covered the school’s golf, volleyball, baseball, and football teams. The Miami native has also written for the Sun Sentinel and MLB.com, following the Tampa Bay Rays.

Tom is a Heat beat writer for the Palm Beach Post. He has covered sports in Florida since 1981.